The Delta independent., 1887-05-17
liitIe Kits Locket,

There's Jeremiah-and the peache, ~
snapped Miss Prudence Mattison. her
dark eyes glooming sombcr thunders
In the direction of lank country-b
who was mopping his forehead with 9
yellow bandanna-handkerc as he
watercd his horse at the stone basin
just outside the osage- orange hedge
that surrounded John Thorndyke's q
farm.
Inside tho wagon were rows of peach
baskets. full Of great. velvety spheres,
glowing beneath pink mist of net
ting.
"Wellp"
This lazy little query was languidlv
dropped by Kate Thorndykc. who had
been sitting with her aunt on the front
porch for the past hour as her dark
blue, dreamy eyes reluctantly sank from
sunset wonders to this world of actual
tiles.
"Well3 It's far from wellr' growl-
ed Miss Mattison. Here these peach
es have come back from town"
Couldn't help it marm." interpo-
lated the rueful knight of the bandan-
ma, as he stumpcd up the piazza steps.
to give an account of himself. You
told me to git dollar a bushel for
them peaches. and the market was SO
full was only offered seventy five
cents, SO in course had to bring 'em
home ag'n."
And didn't YOU know that as the
peaches won't keep till tomorrow that
It was better to sell for that price
than not at all? Oh! jeremiah, Jere-
miah! will no one over succeed in beat
ing . thimbleful of wit into that rod
head ofyours?" quried Miss Prudence.
seemingly of the universe at large. as
she tilted her sharp nose and angular
chin. and searched the blue vault Of
heaven despairingly.
! The namesake of the prophet am
hled ruefully away. his bandanna trail
ing In the dust: and Miss Mattison and
hor pretty niece were left alone to
consider the situation.
Not that John Thorndyke, the hand
some young widower who owned
Thorndyke Farm and used it As a
summer residence. would have cared
two straws whether those eight bush
els of red-gold peaches were wasted or
not; but his aunt and sister, who had
been left at the head of affairs when
he had been called away 10 St Louis on
business, right in the midst of peach
harvest, had determined to conduct
affairs SO wisely as to come off with
flying collors. and to be perpetual
demonstration of the thrift and capa-
bility of womankind to scoffing man
kind. as embodied in John.
If John found out about this, how
he would tease us!" mused Kate,
1--WE must do something" declared
Miss Prudence. desperately. I'D 20
back to town with the peaches myself.
but it is really too late." she sighed, as
she noted that the Sunset was fading
into twilight and the intermittent
lamps of the firefies were already
flashing along the waxen-dark hedge.
I have itn' exclaimed Kate, sudden
ly, clappping her pink palms. as
brilliant idea solved the vcxed question.
"Well can them and sell them at the
Grange store"
THAT we WILL" assentod Miss Pru-
dence. nodding SO vigorously that her
short black curls stood on end, like
Queen Ddo's in the old nursery game.
''We'll do finely. if everyone helps
you snd I, and Sue. Mary and Jere-
miah."
me, too!' piped small, sweet, un-
expected voice; and Baby Kit.a golden
haired morsel, of five years. rolled from
the little pink hammock where she
had been taking her afternoon nap,
and came forward to demand her right
full share in the domestic excitement.
So she was provided with kitchen
knife. which had outl we'd its best days,
with which she hacked Intellectually
away at the rosy peaches. during in
tervals of lowering over bubbling
kettles, until her white eyelids began to
droop. and she was borne away from
the busy scene.
Miss Prudence had her subordinates
in excellent training; SO, although Jere-
miah, heaving long sigh that would
have done credit to the weeping prophet
himself when his boon companion
whistled in vain for him by the osage-
orange hedge, and Sue and Mary ek
changed rueful glanccs. as they remem-
bered how every one else was eating
peaches and cream at the social of the
Daughters of Temperance, over in
the round-topped school-house, no one
uttered word Of complaint while they
worked steadily away through the long,
scented summer night.
The glow of dawn was just creeping
over the pearly sky, and the sleepy
young birds were beginning to clipper,
when the last tin-can was sealed and
marshaled with the long ranks Of its
comrades on the whts-pine floor.
Has ii paid P" yawned Kate. brush
ing away clinging, velvet coil of
peach-paring from her checked apron
with stif fingers.
Sue, Mary and Jeremiah. remained
e,rcumspcctly non.eommlttaL